


Just Go With It

by strawberrylovely



Category: Shance - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (literally Lance gets drunk but it's very brief), Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Multiple Relationships, Mutual Pining, alcohol use, shance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 14:25:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11186997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrylovely/pseuds/strawberrylovely
Summary: The Paladins (and Allura) must visit a planet to get supplies for the ship. The island they go to, however, has very different customs than what they're all used to. The six of them have to pretend to be in relationships with each other. Lance figures his best friend would be the easiest to pretend to be in love with, until he gets stuck with Shiro and he realizes it won't be difficult to pretend to be in love with someone you already have a crush on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So pretty much I just wanted to write a fic where Lance and Shiro had to pretend to be a couple. I know this probably seems really strange and confusing, but, well, like the title says, just go with it.

"Attention Paladins," Allura's voice rang through the entire castle. "Tomorrow, we are landing on a planet that has supplies that we need to help keep the ship running smoothly. These supplies are hard to come by, only on a specific island on the planet. The only way to get them is to please the Islanders that live there. The planet we're going to has....very different customs than what we're all used to. The only way for anyone to step on the planet is if they're a couple. As in, romantically. As you all know, none of us are in romantic relationships with each other - at least not that I'm aware of - so this means, we must fake it. I know this might seem uncomfortable for many of you, but we need as many hands as we can get to carry the needed supplies back to the ship. Be aware that this can also be very dangerous, because if the Islanders find out that you're faking, they'll imprison you for trying to trick them. So that means you and your partner must act like you're truly in love. You're all probably wondering why I didn't tell you all to meet me in the control deck. I can see where each of you are in the layout of the castle, and I will tell you that you are all spread out. This means you must ask the first person you first run into to be your partner for the next 48 hours. This will hopefully avoid any fighting over who gets paired with who, and will prevent any of you from getting left out or having to a pick a partner. No exceptions. I expect all of you to have a partner by tomorrow morning. This will be awkward for all of us, so please try to be mature about this. I know you can do this. Also, one last thing....uh- Pidge, could you...join me in the control deck, please?"

 _There's no way I'm getting Keith_ , Lance thought to himself, 20 minutes later. He had hidden himself in a random inlet in the wall in the main hallway. That way, he could keep watch for not only Keith, but Hunk as well. Who better to pretend to be in love with than his own best friend? Well...maybe one other person, but there was no way _that_ was gonna happen.

Lance waited a few more minutes, growing bored and just about giving up, when he heard heavy footsteps and a small sigh that he knew was his best friend. He was about to walk out when all of a sudden from the other end of the hallway, Lance heard someone else.

"Hunk! Buddy! I'm so glad I found you first. Will you be my partner?"

It was Keith.

"Uh-uh, stop right there. There's no way you're getting _my_ best friend," Lance said as he made his presence known. "Isn't that right, Big Guy?"

"Well, I mean technically Keith and I _did_ find each other first," Hunk said, sheepishly.

"What?! But I'm your best friend! How can you choose mullet-head over me?"

"Listen, man, I know, but you heard what Allura said about 'the first person you find'. I don't want to get in trouble by breaking the rules."

"Sorry, Lance," Keith said slyly, "I guess you just didn't find him quick enough."

"Oh, shut your quiznack!"

Lance was appalled. He was offended. He was-

Terrified. 

This means....

"Wait, so if you guys are paired up, and Pidge and Allura are paired up, then that means..."

"Hey, gang."

Shiro.

_I'M PAIRED WITH SHIRO?!_

"I-I'm paired with Shiro..."

"I heard yelling. Is everyone okay?" Shiro walked over to the other three paladins, not hearing Lance's revelation.

"Yeah, we're fine. Lance was just being a crybaby because he wasn't quick enough," said Keith.

"That's not true! I'd been waiting for almost half an hour for Hunk to walk by so I could ask him, and then Keith swooped in and stole Hunk from me," Lance told Shiro indignantly.

"Guys listen, I appreciate being fought over, but-"

"Put a cork in it, traitor," Lance said, glaring at Hunk with a pouting lip.

"Guys, guys, calm down," Shiro interjected. "Allura said she did this so we wouldn't fight. Keith obviously got to Hunk first, and unless Hunk is uncomfortable with that, then that's how it has to stay. Hunk?"

"Uh, yeah it's cool. Keith's my buddy. Sorry, Lance."

Lance gave his best pout, but ultimately sighed in resignation.

"It's okay. I understand."

"Well, Lance," Shiro said, right back to business. "I guess that just leaves you and me. Will you be my partner for the next 48 hours?"

Shiro stuck his hand out towards Lance, as if he was making an executive deal. It would have been cute if the situation wasn't as awkward as it was. Nonetheless, Lance took his hand.

"O-of course," Lance said, blushing and avoiding eye contact.

 _I'm fucked_ , thought Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably post a few random notes at the bottom of each chapter that didn't fit into the story. First note: Coran is staying behind in the castle 1. because he would have felt weird to be paired with any of them since he's way older than them and 2. he still loves his wife that he lost when the Galra destroyed Altea and he didn't want to have to pretend to be in love with anyone else. :(


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Allura called everyone to the front entrance as they were about to land on the planet. As Lance walked up, he was relieved to see that he'd gotten there before Shiro. He needed a moment to prepare himself. Pidge and Allura were both standing together at the front; they were holding hands. That made Lance's anxiety about the situation go through the roof. He was so caught up in thinking about if he and Shiro would have to hold hands that he didn't noticed Keith and Hunk walk in together.

"Hunk, Keith," Allura's voice said, pulling Lance from his thoughts. "Have you two been able to bond and figure out how you're going to present as a couple?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah we definitely....bonded last night," Hunk said, a blush creeping up his face. Keith stayed silent and stared at the floor, his own face as red as the armor he was wearing. Lance wasn't sure he wanted to know what all happened. 

"Wait, what?!" Lance said. "We were supposed to hang out with each other after we figured out who we were with?"

Allura scoffed, as if she was offended that Lance would even ask that question. "Yes, of course you were. How else do you expect the Islanders to believe you are truly in a relationship. I'm a bit disappointed in you, Lance."

"Well, I didn't know! And apparently neither did Shiro. You should be just as disappointed in him, if not more! He's the leader! Trust me, if I had known we had to 'bond' overnight I would have done it."

"What's this about bonding?" Shiro said as he finally walked in.

"Shiro," Allura's voice sounded disappointed. "It's unlike you to be the last to arrive."

"Sorry, I was trying to find something that I needed before we landed."

"Well, I hope you found it. However, I _am_ rather upset that you and Lance didn't bond like you were supposed to last night. I certainly hope you don't mess up this mission for us."

"I'm sorry, Princess. I should have taken more precaution in ensuring this mission goes smoothly. Although, I'm sure Lance and I will be fine. We're both adults, and with his flirting skills, I bet he could use some of that to at least pretend to be _a little_ attracted to me." He looked at Lance and smiled. "Just pretend I'm a cute alien girl that you're attracted to. Think you can do that?"

"Uhh, yeah! Of course. Piece of cake. You're a good lookin' guy. I'm sure it won't be _that_ hard to pretend to be in love with you."

 _I'm FUCKED_.

"I sure hope not," Allura said, giving them both a confused but stern look. "Then if that's settled, we're here."

Keith and Hunk took a place behind Pidge and Allura, while Shiro and Lance stood in the back. Lance's heartbeat was in his ears, blocking out whatever final instructions Allura was giving them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Keith and Hunk grab each other's hand, but before he could freak out whether he and Shiro should as well, he felt a hand wrap around his own and everything went quiet. He looked down and saw that Shiro's hand was intertwined with his own. Lance figured that this was what Allura had been telling them to do, and felt dumb for not paying attention. He looked up at his hero to the right to make sure he wasn't getting a scolding look and nearly jumped when he saw the expression on the older man's face.

_Is he...blushing?_

Shiro was looking straight ahead, as if he was listening to what Allura was saying, but it came off as though he was purposefully not looking at Lance. His face was completely flushed and he looked like he was trying to hide a smile.

"Are you okay?" Lance whispered.

"Wha-oh...yeah uh, just....trying to get into character," Shiro said, still staring straight ahead. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Yeah! I just...saw your face when you took my hand and I wanted to make sure you were okay with it. We can probably do something different if you don't feel comfor-"

"No!" Shiro said, maybe a little too loud and frantic, though Lance wouldn't say anything about it if was. He finally looked at Lance and cleared his throat. "Uh, no, I'm good. As long as you're good, I'm good." Shiro closed his eyes and the faintest look of embarrassment washed over his face for a brief second before he began to speak again. "What I mean to say is, are you comfortable with this, Lance?"

Lance took a second to think about the question he was just asked, his brain slowly catching up after Shiro looked directly in his eyes.

"I-yes," Lance responded, his voice almost too quiet to hear. Thankfully, Shiro did hear it and smiled at him.

"Good."

They both looked forward as the castle's doors opened. Lance felt Shiro squeeze his hand tighter and the six of them walked out in two lines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (If you're wondering about Hunk and Keith, they made out basically lmao)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter ahead!! Sorry!!

They'd passed the first test after only fifteen minutes of introductions, though their questioning would only get tougher. Each pair was given a hut to themselves, with only one bed.

"Okay, dinner is in a little less than an hour," Lance said, avoiding the elephant in the room of only having one bed as long as he could. "So we have some time to relax and talk. Maybe we can figure out what exactly Hunk and Keith did to bond and then we can do it too. Also, we should probably know a lot about each other's personal lives. Oh! And how we first met and then _fell in love_." He said the last part with an air or sarcasm, which got Shiro to give him a look.

"We have to take this seriously."

"I am! Let's go over to Hunk and Keith's hut and ask them what they did."

"Alright."

 

They walked next door to the red and yellow paladins' hut and knocked on their door. They heard a shuffling and muffled voices and after a few seconds Hunk answered the door.

"Hey guys!" he said, obviously trying to act nonchalant. Lance looked inside and saw Keith sitting on the bed and blushing harder than he was when Allura asked about them bonding.

"Hey. What's going on, guys?" Shiro asked. Unfortunately, that only made Hunk blush and his nonchalant act crumbled.

"Uh, nothing. Nothing is going on. Why would something be going on? We just got here yanno, two guys just chillin' haha."

Lance and Shiro glanced at each other and then back at Hunk.

"Okay buddy," Lance drawled out. "Well anyway, we were just wondering, what did you guys do to bond? Like did you guys figure out like a cool backstory where you guys met or did you come up with pet names for each other? Should we do that? We just thought we could get some pointers from you guys."

"Uhhhhhh..." Hunk looked back at Keith, who looked absolutely mortified.

"We didn't do anything, we just hung out." Keith got up from the bed and walked up to the door. "Go figure it out on your own, like we did." And with that, he slammed the door.

"Well, that was completely unhelpful," Lance said.

"And a bit uncomfortable," Shiro added.

The two walked back to their hut and sat across from each other on the bed.

"You know, we're gonna have to figure out the bed situation sooner or later," Shiro said after they were situated.

"I know, I know, but let's not think about that right now," Lance waved off that idea. He couldn't think about that without feeling himself blush, and he'd rather wait till it was dark and less noticeable. "First things first, tell me something about your parents."

"Hmm," Shiro smiled to himself, thinking fondly of his parents. "Well, I never actually knew my mother. She died right after I was born. She was gorgeous though. My father had a picture of her on his desk at work. I was an only child and my father raised me by himself. My father was a pilot as well, though, not a space pilot like us," Shiro looked at Lance and they shared a small laugh. "And so was his father before him. I'm actually named after my grandfather. Takashi Shirogane."

_Takashi_. Lance had heard that name before, but he'd never heard Shiro himself say it. Actually, the only times he'd heard it was when the Kerberos mission was all over the news.

"What about you?" Lance heard as he was pulled from his reverie. "Tell me about your parents."

"Oh, gosh...Well, my mama is the sweetest woman you'd ever meet, unless you were acting a fool, then she'd be the first to set you in line. I was the middle child in a family of five, so I was always fighting for attention, you know? So I definitely got set straight a few times. My papa worked a lot to make sure we all had food in our mouths, but he was always home for dinner every night. We used to wrestle, him, me, and my two younger brothers. He'd never let us win, but one day I finally beat him and it was the second proudest moment of my life."

"Second?"

"Well, the first was getting accepted into the Garrison."

"I see," Shiro smiled as he looked at Lance, genuinely interested in his story. Shiro's face was just about the brightest Lance had ever seen it. It made his stomach flutter and he felt his face get hot.

"Uh, so," Lance said, breaking the silence. "Speaking of the Garrison...If we're asked, should we say we met there?"

"I don't see why not. It's the truth. I mean sure, I was unconscious the whole time, but that's definitely-"

"Oh," Lance's face fell.

"Lance?"

"I mean, I guess you probably wouldn't remember anyway. It was a long time ago."

"What are you talking about?"

"We...met before that. I mean I was still a cargo pilot so you probably didn't think much of it at the time, but before you left for the Kerberos mission, I saw you in the hallway of the Garrison. You shook my hand and I...asked for your autograph," Lance shrank back, embarrassed at remembering such a small moment that his hero probably just brushed off.

"Oh...Oh! Oh my gosh, Lance! No, I remember that! You were so nervous and small, I was so scared that if I breathed in your direction you would have fallen over."

"I probably would have, to be honest. I was just about your biggest fan."

"Wait, really?" Shiro asked, genuinely surprised that he had a _fan_.

"Yeah! I mean, kid-genius pilot, only a couple years older than me, doing all that work at the Garrison? And then preparing for the Kerberos mission? I wanted to be just like you. You were...kind of the reason I joined the Garrison. I mean, don't get me wrong I've always wanted to be a pilot, but seeing you being so great, you were my hero! You still are..."

"Lance, that's...so nice of you to say. I had no idea you thought of me like that."

"Well, I mean of course when we all became paladins together I couldn't just tell you up front. I didn't want you to think I was just following your orders because of some...hero thing. I wanted to respect you as an equal _and_ our leader."

Shiro was silent for a minute, his face unreadable. Lance couldn't tell if he was happy, sad, weirded out, or just gassy. Finally, he said something.

"Lance...that means a lot to me. Thank you."

"Hey, no problem," Lance said, throwing up a finger gun.

"So...what should we do next?" Shiro asked.

"We could," Lance thought for a moment before speaking again, "come up with pet names? That's a thing couples do, right?"

"Yeah! Okay, so...well we know you wanna be called Sharpshooter right?" Shiro joked.

"Ha ha, very funny. ...But also, yes, could you tell the rest of the team that? Anyway, that wouldn't work here I don't think. This is supposed to be something...lovey? Like sweetie pie, honey bear, pumpkin, that sort of thing."

"Hmm...what if I called you...Kitten?"

Normally, Lance would have cringed at the thought of that pet name, but when he heard Shiro say it, it made his heart skip a beat.

"Uh, yeah that's-! Mm-hmm! Great!" Lance didn't mean for his voice to go two octaves higher than normal, but he couldn't stop it. He cleared his throat and continued. "Your real first name is Takashi...so what if I called you...just Kashi?"

"You're gonna call me 'Just Kashi?'"

"No! Kashiiii!" Lance stretched out the ending syllable and smiled, giggling at the ridiculousness of it. He was about to take it back, when Shiro spoke before him.

"That's...perfect." Shiro's ears were a hot red and his cheeks were slowly starting to match. Lance couldn't believe how much his hero, Voltron's fearless leader, Champion in the Galran arena, could blush in one day. Especially at something as little as a shortening of his name.

They sat in silence for a few more seconds before they heard a knock on their door, telling them it was time for dinner. They got off the bed and Shiro was about to walk out, when Lance came up behind him and held his hand. They might not actually be in a relationship, but if this was as close as Lance was going to get with Shiro, he was going to milk it as much as he could.

Dinner went well, and everyone acted like they were in love. Pidge and Allura were basically naturals, and Lance relaxed once he realized how easy it was to pretend to be in love with Shiro. Especially when he knew a lot of it wasn't actually pretend on his end. Lance was, however, surprised at how well Keith and Hunk were doing. Whatever they were being weird about before didn't show on their faces at all, and they seemed to be really enjoying each other's company. 

The Islanders at their table were also all in pairs. Even the king and queen of the island, who were seated together at the end of the table, were equal rulers and could never be seen apart. The only ones that weren't paired together were the children, and even then it didn't look like there was an odd one out. Lance had worried a bit at first about the six of them all being same sex couples, but as he looked around, he couldn't tell which aliens were what gender, nor if they even had genders, and he figured they didn't care about the paladins' genders either.

At one point during dinner, the king (or queen, Lance still wasn't sure) started to ask each of the paladin couples questions about their relationships, when they met, how they fell in love, that sort of thing. Each couple was able to answer the questions without raising suspicions, Shiro throwing in the part where Lance had asked for his autograph, much to Lance's embarrassment.

After a few minutes of these questions, there was a gong sound, and all of the Islander couples faced each other and kissed, then looked back at the table. The paladins just sat there confused for a few moments, until one of the royals explained.

"The gong means you must kiss! it happens a few times a day, and every time you hear it you must kiss, no matter where you are or what you're doing! So, go on, kiss!"

The six of them looked between each other for another moment until Keith and Hunk just turned and kissed, without missing a beat. Next, Allura and Pidge went, a short and sweet peck.

Lance's eyes got wide as he realized what this meant. He turned to the side and Shiro seemed to have the same expression. They looked at each other for a second more.

"You okay, Kitten?" Shiro asked, as sweet as ever but with a small glint of worry in his eyes.

"Of course! Let's do this."

They leaned in and Lance thought he'd died for a moment. There was no way he was kissing the guy he'd had wet dreams about since he was 15 years old. It only lasted a few seconds, but Lance had never felt warmer or happier than he had in that moment. Not even when his parents surprise visited him at the Garrison on his birthday his first year did he feel as wonderful as he did when Shiro had kissed him.

That feeling lasted well after dinner and after the festivities the Islanders had prepared for their guests. It lasted right up until Shiro asked him which side of the bed he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY THEIR FIRST KISS!!!!  
> Also, you know Hunk and Keith were making out when Lance knocked on the door. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	4. Chapter 4

"What?" Lance said, coming out of his daze.

"Which side of the bed do you want?" Shiro repeated, obviously trying not to be awkward.

"Oh, either side is fine."

"I can sleep on the floor if you want? I don't wanna make you uncomfortable."

"No, no! I don't want you to sleep on the floor. You've gone through enough, you deserve to sleep on a bed. Unless, you just don't want to sleep near me? I can sleep on the floor..."

"Lance," Shiro said flatly, giving Lance that 'don't be an idiot' look.

"Okay, the bed it is! I'll take the left side."

They both climbed into the bed and started to get comfortable until they realized they were facing each other. Lance quickly turned to his side, knowing there was just no way he could face Shiro _and_ sleep. He heard rustling behind him and figured Shiro had turned away as well, probably trying to avoid the extra awkwardness. Especially after kissing him; he probably had had enough Lance for one day. 

 

Lance laid there for what felt like hours. He couldn't sleep. No amount of turning around and not facing Shiro could make Lance fall asleep. Not while he and Shiro were literally _sharing a bed_. And especially not after the happiest moment of his life that he would forever replay in his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. How surprisingly soft Shiro's lips were, how just before Shiro had called him the pet name they'd come up with. How gentle and sweet Shiro was in that moment. It was so different than anything Lance had seen the black paladin do. He was normally so tough and leader-y. Never would Lance have thought he could be soft and loving as well.

_If I wasn't fucked before, I'm_ definitely _fucked now_.

He'd truly fallen in love with Shiro. Distraught at his own self realization, he turned around without thinking, only to put his face three inches away from Shiro's sleeping face. He gasped softly, realizing that when he'd turned around at first and thought he'd heard Shiro turn around, Shiro had actually just stayed facing the same direction. Lance wasn't sure what to do with this information, and he surely wasn't about to turn back around again. Shiro was so lovely when he was asleep. Lance wanted to reach over and touch him, but he didn't want to risk being caught. Instead, he snuggled deeper into the pillows and put himself a bit lower than Shiro; if he moved closer to him, he'd be snuggled against the older man's chest. He wouldn't dare get any closer though. He could feel the heat radiating off of Shiro, and it reminded him of that warm feeling from dinner. With a smile, Lance finally drifted off to sleep.

 

When Lance woke up, he felt something heavy across his side. He was still in the almost fetal position that he fell asleep in. He felt so comfortable and warm and he didn't want to move. As he became more aware, he recognized the weight across him as someone's arm.

Wait.

He opened his eyes slowly, his face right in front of a chest. He heard soft snoring right above his head.

_Holy shit. I'M CUDDLING WITH SHIRO!?_

He wasn't sure what to do. Would Shiro wake up and freak out and push Lance away? Would he be upset at Lance for turning over and being so close to him? Would he think Lance put his arm around him? Why was Shiro's arm around him, anyway?

He wasn't able to come up with any more questions, because he heard the faint groan of Shiro waking up.

"Hmm...? Oh. Good morning, Lance."

... _What_.

Shiro yawned loudly, and as he did, he must have realized what was happening because mid yawn he said, "AaahhooOOOH MY GOSH! LANCE!"

He removed his arm, much to Lance's dismay.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Shiro moved back a bit, as if he was scared of squishing Lance. "I didn't mean to- uh I mean- I move in my sleep so- I...uhh..whOAH!"

He'd leaned back too far and fell off the bed. Lance snapped up, looking over the edge of the bed to see Shiro, wrapped in sheets, on the floor. They both stared at each other with surprised faces for about half a second, before they both lost it. Neither male could stop laughing as Lance extended an arm to help Shiro up.

"That's _one_ way to wake up!" Lance said through his laughter, which only made Shiro laugh harder as he collapsed on the bed, Lance kneeling beside him.

Shiro's laugh was contagious, and only made Lance feel giddy with laughter about the whole scenario. Shiro kept laughing, and Lance couldn't help but watch. Lance loved Shiro's smile and he wished he could see it more often. He knew Shiro had gone through a lot that made him not be able to be happy all the time, but in that moment Lance loved that he was the one that made Shiro laugh like this. Shiro was so beautiful and even as his laughter died down, a smile purer than any Lance had ever seen before lit up his face.

Lance didn't know what came over him, but he felt himself lean down and press his lips to Shiro's.

As he came up, he realized what he'd done and he nearly screamed as he scrambled away and off of the bed. Shiro's face was frozen in shock and Lance wanted nothing more than to run out of the hut and away from Shiro, but that could blow their whole cover. Thankfully, right at that moment, a knock and a voice came to the door, telling them it was breakfast time.

_Thank God_.

Quickly and silently, the two changed out of their pajamas and walked outside to go breakfast, but not before Shiro grabbed Lance's hand and whispered, "We're talking about this later."

 

_Fuck_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're the "are you okay?" couple if you couldn't tell.


	5. Chapter 5

During breakfast, Lance tried to avoid eye contact with Shiro as best as he could without blowing their cover. Every time he was forced to look at Shiro, the black paladin had something behind his eyes that he was trying to convey, but Lance wasn't having it. He wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed or truly scared for his life. 

 

After breakfast, the team set out to find the supplies they needed for the ship. Right as they were about to leave, the gong sounded, meaning everyone had to kiss. Shiro looked almost smug as he leaned in to kiss Lance again. Lance was too annoyed to enjoy it, not only at himself, but also at Shiro, who was clearly enjoying it for different reasons.

"Alright let's go!" Lance said as soon as they broke apart.

"Chill, dude," Keith whispered behind him.

"Sorry," Lance said. He felt stupid for forgetting his head for a moment.

“Princess?” Pidge said, obviously trying to change the subject. “What supplies are we here for?” she asked in the sweetest, most out of character voice Lance had ever heard.

"Well, my darling," Allura replied in the same sweet tone, "there are caves that hold crystals that harness light energy. They help keep the castle's lights and food machine running. Sort of like how earth uses electricity, we use these crystals."

"You're so smart, Princess," Pidge said, taking the Princess' hand and walking with their arms touching.

"So are you, my darling," Allura bent down a bit and kissed the top of Pidge's head. They had come up with pet names just like Shiro and Lance, and were very keen on using them whenever possible. Lance thought they were overdoing it a bit, but he was too scared of Allura and Pidge to go against either of them.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Lance said, fake gagging at the scene in front of him.

"What's wrong, Kitten?" Shiro asked, taking Lance's hand. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm fine, _Kashi_ ," Lance said, sarcasm only noticeable in the way he said Shiro's pet name.

Shiro sent a small glare Lance's way, but it was apparent that he knew what was going on.

"You don't need to be embarrassed," Shiro whispered in Lance's ear, "and I'm not mad or upset either."

Lance wasn't sure how to respond, so instead he looked at Shiro and gave his hand a small squeeze. 

The rest of the journey to the caves went smoothly. Even getting the crystals they needed - which was a lot - went smoothly. It wasn't until they were coming back and realized they were alone that the six of them let their cover personalities relax just a bit. Pidge went right back to being her smart, analytical, and definitely not sweet self, and talked with Hunk about different Earth things that could be improved with these crystals. Shiro and Allura talked a bit about the Galra and what needed to happen once they left the island. And Lance finally had a moment with Keith to ask him what was up with him and Hunk.

"Seriously dude, something's weird with you two and I wanna know what it is."

"Ugh. Fine. Just please, stop bugging me about it once I tell you."

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Uh, so...the other night when we...'bonded,' I told Hunk that I was glad I got him more than just because it wasn't you."

"I'm still offended by that, but go on."

"Anyway, I told him that...I kind of...had real feelings for him...and he told me that he had real feelings for me too. And we kind of went from there. So...we're kind of not...faking it here."

"Wait, WHAT?" Lance said loudly, drawing attention from the other paladins.

"Lance, shut up," Keith whispered.

"Right, sorry. Everyone go back to what you were doing," Lance said, even though no one was paying attention anymore. "Okay, but for real? You and Hunk?"

"Yeah, I don't know. I wouldn't have thought it at first either but we've gotten a lot closer the past couple months, so I guess it's not all that surprising."

"I'd say I'm happy for you, because you couldn't get a better guy, but also, I feel bad for Hunk."

"Shut up, Lance," Keith said, actually smiling a bit.

"Whoah, did you just smile? You really _do_ have feelings for him."

"Yeah, I do. Hey, since we're talking about this, I have something else to tell you about Sh-"

"Hey guys!" Shiro said as he came to walk in between the blue and red paladins. "What are we talking about?"

"Hunk and Keith are totally actually in love with each other," Lance said, receiving a punch in the arm from the latter. 

"Seriously?" Shiro looked right at Keith, incredulously.

"I mean, I wouldn't say it like that, but yeah, we're kind of a thing I guess." Even in the low light of the evening, Lance could see the blush on Keith's face.

"Everyone, get back in your pairs, we're getting close to camp," Allura called behind everyone.

Keith went back to Hunk and Pidge held her arm out for Allura, who took it.

"We still need to talk, you know," Shiro said, taking Lance's hand.

"I know. Can we do it after dinner, though?" Lance asked, no longer fearful or annoyed, but still not wanting anyone else to hear the conversation.

"Of course, Kitten."

"Thanks, Kashi."

 

They made it back to camp and put the bags of crystals over by Allura and Pidge's hut. Everyone had a great time at dinner, and two of the Islanders danced for the Paladins as an act of gratitude for visiting them. The dance ended and the gong went off, the dancers being the first to kiss and the paladins and everyone at the table following suit.  
After dinner, there was another dance party like the night before, but Lance was too tired from the long day and not sleeping enough the night before. As he was walking towards the hut, Shiro grabbed his arm and gently turned him around.

"You don't wanna dance?" Shiro asked, surprised since Lance was usually the life of the party.

"I'm sorry I'm just so tired, I think I'm just gonna go to bed. You can dance if you want," Lance replied, punctuating his statement with a yawn.

"I can't dance without my partner," Shiro said, both to be sweet but also because it might ruin their cover if he let Lance go without him.

Lance looked over at everyone else having fun, and decided that he wouldn't get this chance again.

"One dance, okay?"

"Okay. Are you sure?” Shiro asked. “We can just go back to the hut if you want. I don't wanna force you."

"One dance," Lance repeated.

"One dance," Shiro smiled in confirmation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh I'm not good at writing anyone but Shiro and Lance, so please let me know if you liked how I wrote the other characters or if you think I should just stick to what I know. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter!!! lol!!!! Sorry!!!!

Seven dances later, Shiro and Lance stumbled into their hut.

"I don't know what was in those drinks they gave us, but I'll never sleep again!" Lance slurred.

"Come on, Kitten, let's get you into bed," Shiro moved Lance towards the bed, but was unsuccessful at making him actually get in it.

"You know you don't have to keep using pet names and acting like a real couple when we're alone right, Kashi?" Lance said, turning around in Shiro's arms so they were face to face.

"I could say the same to you. You kissed me this morning remember?"

"Nooooo, no, no, nooooooo," Lance whined.

"Did you get drunk just so we wouldn't have this conversation?" Shiro asked.

"Ooh, did you just use your leader voice on me?"

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not! ...Wait what were we talking about?"

"You kissing me this morning?" Shiro asked, more amused at Lance's drunken state than annoyed at his avoiding the answer.

"Oh noooo, shhhhhh," Lance put his finger against Shiro's mouth, "that was an accident."

Shiro grabbed Lance's wrist, moving his now wandering hand away from his face. He let go when Lance made a suggestive sound.

“So let me get this straight,” Shiro said. Lance snickered at his wording. “You _accidentally_ leaned over and kissed me?"

"Yeah, it happens sometimes.” Lance leaned in and kissed Shiro again. It was sloppy and wet and when Lance pulled away, Shiro wiped his mouth. "See? Accident."

"That wasn't an accident! You literally did that on purpose!"

"Yeah, but I'm drunk so it doesn't count."

Shiro sighed, knowing he wouldn’t win against the stubborn blue paladin, sober or drunk.

"Okay, come on, let's get you into bed so you don't 'accidentally' do anything else," Shiro said, gently pushing Lance. When that didn't work, he bent down and picked Lance up bridal style, and then plopped him onto the bed.

"Ooh! That was romantic!"

"No, it was my last attempt to getting you to lay down."

"Why do you want me to lay down so much? I don't think the Islanders would appreciate it if we defiled their guest huts."

"That's not-" Shiro breathed a laugh and shook his head. "Move over," he told Lance, who flailed around a bit, but was able to make some room for Shiro.

"Why am I in love with you?" Shiro mumbled to himself, thinking the inebriated Lance couldn't hear him.

He was wrong.

The room got quiet and Shiro looked over at the blue paladin, who was looking straight at Shiro with big, wet eyes.

"Do you mean it?"

"Oh shit…you heard me?" 

"Don't curse! You're the leader, you're not supposed to curse!" Lance hit Shiro on the arm softly, his tenacity weakened. "And yes, I did," he added as an afterthought, quiet and unsure of himself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"It's okay," Lance wiggled to get more comfortable. "I love you too. I think. I’m still trying to process it, since I just found out last night, but it’s hard to process stuff when you’re drunk. Kinda sucks that I'm drunk to hear you say it and for me to say it back though, huh?" A tear fell down the younger man's face.

"You love me?" Shiro asked.

A small nod made Shiro lean over and pull the blue paladin to his chest.

"Tomorrow's our last day here. We'll try to figure this out before we leave. Just don't get drunk so we can avoiding talking again, okay?"

"Okay," Lance relaxed into Shiro for a moment and then pulled back again. "Shiro?"

"Hmm?" Shiro hummed with his eyes closed.

"Thanks for taking care of me while I'm drunk. I know I'm probably a handful. You're so nice."

Lance settled back down into Shiro's arms, drifting to sleep. The last thing he heard was Shiro's soft voice.

"You're welcome, Lance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you see why I wanted this part to get its own chapter? <3


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Lance and Shiro woke up to a knock on their door, telling them it was time for breakfast. They'd slept cuddled together all night and ended up sleeping in, neither wanting to let go of the other. Lance was a bit confused as to their position, but was happy nonetheless. At the knock, they both finally got up and headed to breakfast, hand in hand.

"What do you remember from last night?" Shiro asked jokingly as they walked out together.

“I literally don’t remember anything. I think I cried though? I’m not sure. I’m so sorry if I acted weird. Remind me to never drink weird alien juice again,” Lance replied. He truly didn’t remember anything about the night before.

“Wait, you really don’t remember?” Shiro asked, a slight panic creeping into his voice.

“Nope. Why? Did something happen?”

“Uh-“

“Oh no, I didn’t-? We didn’t-? That’s not why we were-? Did we?”

“No! No, don’t worry. Nothing like that. We just talked…and then fell asleep. It wasn’t a big deal,” Shiro said, but he was definitely hiding something. And Lance was going to figure out what it was. Unfortunately, they’d already reached where everyone else was, so they had to drop the conversation.

“Okay. But we can talk about it later, right?”

“Sure, Lance.”

 

Breakfast was weird. Even when the gong sounded and Shiro kissed him, something was off. Shiro barely spoke, and when he did he sounded worn out. When the king (Or queen? They really needed name badges) asked Shiro if something was wrong, he just said he was tired from last night. The suggestive sounds he got in return made him flinch slightly, as if the thought of he and Lance doing what the Islanders thought they did was painful for Shiro. Lance needed to know what happened the night before.

The rest of the day, the Paladins had time to relax, swim, talk to the Islanders, and pack. They were set to leave before dinnertime. Lance had finished packing, and was laying on the newly made bed, hair still damp from swimming. Shiro was still packing. He was facing away from Lance, but he kept turning around, looking as if he wanted to say something, and then turning away again to continue packing. Lance was sure he’d folded the same shirt three times already.

“Are you okay?” Lance finally said, breaking the silence.

“Huh? Oh. Yes, I’m fine,” Shiro’s voice sounded distant.

Lance got up from the bed and walked over to Shiro. He placed his hand on Shiro’s arm, stopping him from folding his shirt for the fourth time.

“We still have some time before we leave. Can we talk about what happened last night? I can tell that something upset you. And if it was something I did, I need to know. I need to make it right.”

“No, Lance. Of course it wasn’t you. I’m sorry I’ve been acting weird.”

He finally turned around, looking Lance in the eyes.

“Actually, I wanted to give you this. It’s kind of like a way to say thanks for being my partner the last two days.”

He took Lance’s wrist and placed something in his hand. It was a little black lion cub made of glass.

“I found it the last time we went to the space mall. I got it thinking that maybe if one day Voltron wasn’t needed anymore, I could keep it as a reminder. But I want you to have it.”

“Shiro, that’s so sweet of you. But I can’t take this. It’s important to you-“

“It’s more important to me that you have it,” Shiro said, smiling.

“I- thank you,” Lance said as he wrapped his arms around Shiro. He smiled as Shiro hugged him back.

“You’re welcome.”

Suddenly, Lance pulled back.

“I don’t have anything for you!”

“It’s okay! You don’t owe me anything.”

“I know but I wanna return the favor, give you something that’s important to me, you know? So you’ll always remember me,” Lance winked.

“I don’t think I could ever forget you, Lance”.

Lance felt like that young boy meeting his hero for the first time, one puff of air and he’d fall over. He felt a small pang of guilt, however, at the word ‘forget.’ He still felt bad that he couldn’t remember the night before, but he knew if it was really something to worry about, Shiro would tell him in his own time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's probably a panther tbh


	8. Chapter 8

They all gathered near the castle, everything already taken inside so the Paladins and Allura could say goodbye and thank the Islanders for letting them stay. As the six of them finally all boarded and were out of sight, it was as if they all let out a breath of air they’d been holding.

“Good job, Paladins!” Coran said as he came to meet them. “I’m so proud of each of you! You did it! You may all stop pretending to be in love with each other now.”

They all sort of looked at each other awkwardly. Pidge and Allura seemed to have grown closer, whether just in friendship or something more, Keith and Hunk were practically married by now, and Lance and Shiro still had something weird going on. No one really wanted to part from each other just yet. Thankfully, Coran sensed what was going on.

“Hunk, why don’t you and Keith help me take these crystals down to the engineering room.”

The three of them went, taking as many bags of crystals as they could each carry.

“Pidge, I need help mapping out some stars, could you help me?” Allura asked.

“Of course, Princess!”

They both left, leaving Lance and Shiro alone. The room was silent for a few moments until the awkwardness became too much for Lance.

“I’m gonna go take a shower. I haven’t taken a real one in two days.”

_You could join me if you want_.

“Yeah, go ahead. I’ll take the last couple bags down to the engineering room,” Shiro said.

“Cool.”

They went their separate ways without another word.

 

An hour later, Lance was all clean and starving. He remembered that he hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so he went down to the kitchen to get some food goo. When he got there, he saw Keith sitting in there, eating alone.

“Where’s Hunk? Have you already scared him off?” Lance joked.

“He’s asleep.”

“I see. Weird that he’s not eating though.”

“He already ate. He pretty much just swallowed it all in one gulp and went to bed. I’m about to go to sleep too.”

“Oh.”

There was a small pause while Lance got himself food.

“Hey Keith?” he asked as he sat down across from the red paladin.

“Yeah?”

“What were you gonna tell me yesterday? You said you had something to tell me but then Shiro interrupted you.”

“He probably knew what I was about to say and did it on purpose.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m only going to tell you because I know Shiro won’t.“

“Tell me what?”

“The other day when we were all trying to find a partner, Shiro and I found each other first.”

“What? No, you found Hunk first, remember?”

“No, Lance. Shiro and I found each other ten seconds after Allura made the announcement.”

“Huh? Then why didn’t you guys-“

“He asked me if I would find Hunk and ask him instead,” Keith said, interrupting Lance’s question.

“And why would he do that?”

“Because he wanted to be _your_ partner.”

“What? Why would he want to be my partner?”

Keith looked at Lance as if he’d just said the dumbest thing in the world, and to Keith, he had.

“You really are and idiot sometimes, you know?”

“Wh-?”

“He’s like, in love with you, dumbass. How is that not obvious?”

“Shiro's…in love with me?”

Keith groaned and got up from the table.

“Just go talk to him. I’m going to bed.” He got up to put his dish away and then started to walk out.

“Wait, Keith!”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for telling me.”

“No problem. Anything to get you two pining idiots to stop being annoying and just do something about it."

With that, Keith left Lance alone to his thoughts. 

_Shiro loves me? There's no way... Well, it_ would _explain a lot. But there's no reason for him to love_ me _. Maybe Keith wasn't telling the truth? But why would he lie about something like that?_

Lance had had enough of being confused and not knowing what was going on. He finished his food and decided to go to Shiro's room, hoping he was there.

 

Standing outside Shiro's door, he suddenly got very nervous. Was Keith actually lying and Shiro would laugh at Lance for thinking he could ever be in love with him? Would Shiro even talk about it? Or would he make Lance leave without another word? Or would it actually be true and Shiro confess he has feelings for him? There was only one way to find out.

He knocked on Shiro's door and waited.


	9. Chapter 9

"Lance?" Shiro asked once he opened the door.

"Hey, Shiro. Can I come in?"

Shiro stepped aside and let Lance come in. He gestured for Lance to take a seat on his bed as he sat in a chair facing him.

"Keith told me something...and I just wondered if it was true," Lance asked warily.

"What did he tell you?"

"Well, he said that you found each other first the other day. But then you asked if Keith would find Hunk instead. Is that true, Shiro?"

"Yes." Shiro said it without hesitation. He was looking down at the floor, face red.

"He also told me why."

Shiro lifted his head with a slightly confused look on his face, but remained silent. Lance continued.

"He said it was because...you have feelings for me."

Shiro's face paled. Lance thought Shiro was either going to throw up or make a break for it. Or both.

"Is _that_ true, Shiro?"

Again, without hesitation, Shiro replied.

"Yes."

Lance stared at the black paladin with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. He was so happy - Shiro really did have feelings for him - but he couldn't help but feel anxious. What did this mean for the two of them? Lance knew how he felt, and now he know how Shiro felt as well. He hoped this meant that they could be something more than friends, but he knew it couldn't happen unless they were able to work out whatever was causing Shiro grief. He had to start somewhere, and he figured responding to Shiro's confession was a good place to do just that.

"I have feelings for you too."

"I know."

"You...know?" Lance was confused. He didn't think he was _that_ obvious. Was he?

"You told me last night when you were drunk. We confessed our feelings to each other...and you don't even remember."

Shiro's voice sounded hurt. He wasn't the type to be mad at anyone for simple mistakes like getting drunk and not remembering the day after, especially when he'd done the same himself a few times. But something as important as a love confession being forgotten was hard to forgive. Lance didn't blame him for being upset. How could he forget something like that?

"Oh...So that's why you've been acting weird."

"Yeah," Shiro said quietly. He wasn't looking at Lance anymore.

"I'm sorry."

Lance wanted to make it better, to make it up to Shiro.

“But it doesn't change how I feel about you."

Shiro's eyes locked onto Lance’s, his face softening.

"Drunk me is stupid, but also very honest. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't truly feel that way. Drunk or sober, I love you, Shiro."

Shiro smiled softly at the blue paladin's declaration.

"I love you too, Lance."

Lance's heart fluttered. He had already confirmed that Shiro loved him, but hearing him say it caused Lance to feel like he was made completely of butterflies. He was so glad for the past two days of them growing closer, but they almost caused more trouble than anything else. Though, Lance supposed, they would still be pining idiots, as Keith said, if they hadn’t happened. However, they _had_ happened, and if Lance had ever had the chance before to tell Shiro about his feelings, he wouldn’t have wanted it to happen how it did.

"Can we start over?" Lance asked suddenly. "Just, forget the past two days? I don't know about you, but I'd like a redo. No drunken confessions, no other people telling us how the other feels, no weird fake relationship. Just both of us, figuring out our feelings together. It might be weird at first and a bit unconventional, but I know if I'm with you, we can do anything. A-and we don't have to label anything yet! Until we figure everything out, we'll just go with it.”

Shiro’s growing smile in response caused Lance to blush big time.

“I’d really like that.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of just a wrap up chapter to just say what happens after everything, plus a cute lil scene at the end. I hope you enjoyed my lil fic! If so, please leave a comment and/or kudos telling me you liked it! Thanks for reading! <3

They’d decided to take it slow. They were still paladins, defenders of the universe, fighting against the Galra. They didn’t have much time for a relationship outside of their duties. But they still made time to talk and make out when they hung out together on their occasional off days. And whenever one of them was having nightmares, the other would come into their room and the two Paladins would fall asleep in each other’s arms.

 

As time passed and everyone came out alive when the Galra was finally defeated, Voltron wasn’t needed much anymore. The paladins all got to go back home to Earth and be with their families again, Matt and Sam Holt included. The Garrison made the younger paladins honorary graduates, and gave all 9 of them awards for being heroes. Allura and Coran were invited to visit Earth as much as they wanted.

Once everything was settled and the news of everyone's return died down a bit, they were all finally able to go their separate ways. Keith and Hunk moved in together, and Pidge and Allura - who set up a way to video chat throughout space - had a long distant relationship, as Pidge wanted to spend time with her reunited family.

Lance brought Shiro to meet his family, and surprised him by inviting his father, who was in tears to know his son was alive after all these years. Shiro couldn't believe what Lance had done for him, and Lance just said he was glad he got to see his boyfriend happy. Not long after, Shiro and his father moved in a few houses away from Lance so that they could spend time with their families as well as each other.

A few weeks later, Allura and Coran came back to Earth, telling the ex-Paladins that they’d found a planet to live on, similar to Altea, that was only a few galaxies away. The team reunited to visit the new planet, and spend time together again. They came up with a plan that they’d all go exploring together at least twice a year, just so that they could keep up with each other and still get the thrill of being in space that they all secretly missed.

 

\--

 

When the castle ship landed on earth later that year, everyone decided on going to the space mall. They all agreed it just wasn’t the same as the malls back on earth. 

When they arrived at the space mall, they all went in different directions to their favorite stores that they'd missed.

As Lance went to the store Shiro told him he’d gotten the small glass lion from, Shiro himself went to a store he couldn’t pronounce the name of, but it looked like a jewelry store.

Half and hour later, the two of them met back at the front of the mall.

“I’m finally able to return the favor,” Lance said.

He pulled something out of his shopping bag and placed it in Shiro’s hand. It was a little blue lion cub just like the black one Shiro had given Lance so long ago.

“Oh, Lance…” Shiro was speechless. 

"Once we move in together, we can put them both above the fireplace, or on our bedside table, or in the entrance hall so that everyone that walks in will see how in love we are."

Shiro just laughed and pulled his smiling boyfriend to him to kiss him on the cheek.

"I got you something too, but it'll have to wait."

"What?! That's not fair! Now we're uneven again!"

"I told you before, you don't owe me anything," Shiro said, laughing. "You're the only gift I need. Besides, I got one for both of us."

"I guess that's fair then," Lance said, a fake glare on his face as he tried to keep from smiling. "But I wanna see it now! Why do I have to wait?"

Shiro and Lance might have been in a relationship for a long time, but he still couldn't resist Lance's pouting face.

"Well, I suppose it would be only fitting since we fell in love in space."

Lance was confused at Shiro's cryptic but true statement. He was about to ask what the hell Shiro was talking about until he saw his boyfriend get down on one knee.

"Lance..."

Shiro had pulled a small box out of his shopping bag. He opened the box and Lance saw a ring - dark navy blue with tiny little stars that Lance could swear were twinkling. A ring that one could only get from a store in outer space.

Lance started sobbing loud, uncontrollable sobs that caused a few alien shoppers around them to stop walking and stare of the two of them.

Immediately, Shiro stood up and placed his hands on Lance's arms, hoping to console his boyfriend and keep from making a bigger scene.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Lance said, choking back tears. "Please continue!"

Shiro got back down on one knee, holding onto Lance's hand, grounding both himself and Lance.

"Lance, I couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend, a better partner, a better person to love. You're everything I could ever want. I'm so glad you got drunk that one night you don't remember all those years ago. If you hadn't, I don't even know if we'd be here right now."

"We'd probably still be silently pining after each other, knowing us," Lance laughed through his tears.

"Exactly. I know it wasn't ideal, and at the time it may have seemed like a mistake. But I still think about those two days, how great they were despite the bad things that may have happened. But overall, the good definitely outweighs the bad. And I wouldn't change anything about them."

"I thought we agreed to pretend they never happened." Lance winked and wiped his face on his sleeve.

"I could never do that. I could never pretend that my two days of being in a fake relationship with you, two of my happiest days of being a Paladin, two days that led us to this exact spot, never happened."

They stared at each other, reminiscing about when their love was brand new, both smiling with tears in their eyes.

"I love you so much, Lance. So I just gotta ask...Will you marry me?"

"YES! Of course I will!" Lance started crying again as Shiro put the ring on his finger.

As soon as Shiro stood up, Lance's lips were on his. Neither noticed that the rest of the group had walked up until they broke the kiss and saw they were surrounded with the smiling faces of their friends.

This was the happiest moment of Lance's life. Surrounded with his closest friends and the love of his life, in a place that was unbelievable unless you saw it, about to go back home and see his family again. He hadn't been this happy since the first time he and Shiro kissed all those years ago on the weirdest island ever, pretending to be something that he never thought would actually happen. But it did, and here they were, more in love and happier than ever before, and he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

"I love you, Kashi."

"I love you too, Kitten."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stay swag

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this fic, please leave a comment, and/or consider buying me a [coffee!](http://ko-fi.com/natdashg)


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